Dental tool



Aug. 11 1970 D HAMMOND 3,523,368

DENTAL TOOL Filed Jan. 18, 1968 INVENTOR JACK H. HAMMOND ATTORNEY UnitedStates Patent 3,523,368 DENTAL TOOL Jack H. Hammond, 753 W. Ringold,Freeport, Ill.

Filed Jan. 18, 1968, Ser- No. 698,740 Int. Cl. A61c 9/00 US. Cl. 32-70 4Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to improvementsin a device for use in dentistry and, more particularly, to a portabletool in which inlay casting wax may be melted and held therein for useduring wax-ups by the dentist or a dental laboratory technician ofpatterns on indirect dies of teeth for making gold restorations. Inlaycasting wax will melt very quickly in this tool and remain in a liquidstate for a considerable length of time which is very beneficial as atime saver.

In the present practice of dentistry, during the fabrication of goldrestorations, the dentist or laboratory technician has available wax insheet or stick form which may be held by hand or other instrument in thegeneral vicinity of the burner for the purpose of melting the wax sothat it may be worked with as needed. However, it can be readilyappreciated that since fabrication of gold restorations is very tediousand exacting, it is only natural that the wax, which has previously beenmelted to make it flow, will often harden again before the fabricationis complete, thus making it necessary to continually reheat the wax,thereby wasting considerable valuable time.

Accordingly, the primary object of the invention is to provide animproved portable waxing tool for use in the field of dentistry andwhich will make for considerable saving of time of the dentist ortechnician when fabricating gold restorations.

Another object of the invention is to provide a waxing device, the bowlof which is capable of holding the melted wax for a considerable lengthof time without the necessity of reheating and also because of itsdesign provides the user with wax in any state desired between liquidand solid.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a waxing tool, thebowl of which is constructed of a metal having high heat retentivity.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved tool, thebowl of which is so arranged that it will prevent the wax, as itgradually solidifies, from rolling over the rim of the bowl.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a handle for awaxing tool, the angle of which is such that it functions as a supportfor the tool when the device is placed on a flat horizontal surface.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a detailed studyof the following specification and drawings, in which:

3,523,368 Patented Aug. 11, 1970 FIG. 1 is a perspective view of theimproved tool being held over a burner;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view through the bowl of the receptacle; and

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the waxing tool when not in use.

Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows the tool indicated generallyat 10 having a relatively small receptacle 11, preferably constructed ofbrass because of this metals known heat retentivity characteristics. Thereceptacle is provided with a flat bottom 12 so that the waxing tool maybe placed on a generally flat horizontal surface when not in use.

The wall of the receptacle indicated as 13 is provided with a bored areawhich is later threaded and arranged to receive the threaded portion 15of the handle 16. The handle 16 is provided at the outwardly extendingarea with a knurling 17 or other appropriately treated surface area toenhance gripping and handling of the tool during use thereof.

Attention is directed at this time to FIG. 3 where the waxing tool isshown at rest and the extremity of the handle being at a distance fromthe receptacle thus functions as a foot to prevent the receptacle fromoverturning when at rest. The positioning of the handle 16 relative tothe receptacle 113 to function as a foot means is accomplished by boringand threading the body thereof at an angle of 3 relative to thehorizontal. Thus, by so doing the terminal portion of the handleincludes an area which lies in a plane with the flat bottom 12 of thereceptacle.

It is, of course, to be also noted that by making the knurled area 17 ofthe handle of a larger circumferential area than the threaded shankportion, it is not necessary to make the handle of such great length aswould otherwise be necessary.

Turning at this time to FIG. 2, attention is directed to theconstruction and particularly the shape of the concave bowl 18.Considerable time was spent in the design of the bowl area of thiswaxing tool before the present dimensions were finalized since it wasfound that, due to some phenomena unknown to the applicant, when oncethe wax had been heated and then had begun to resolidify, it wouldliterally climp out of the concave bowl and then roll across the rim anddown the exterior of the receptacle body.

In its final form it was found that for the area of the bowl arrived atit was preferable to have the annular rim 19 of the receptacle providedwith a ledge means or portion 20 which overhangs the concave bowl at anangle of about 5. Thus, from the drawing it will be seen that theconcave bowl of the receptacle includes an outwardly and upwardlyextending area, the annular terminus 21 of which intersects the undercutportion 20 which converges inwardly at an angle of approximately 5 andthus terminates in the flat rim 19.

That which is claimed is:

1. An improved portable tool, particularly for use by dentists,comprising, a receptacle having a flat bottom portion arranged to besupported at rest on a fiat surface and including an upstanding wallterminating in a rim, said receptacle further including a concave bowlarea surrounded by the rim, said rim including a ledge overhanging thebowl at an angle of about 5", said bowl area of the receptacle furtherhaving a depth less than onehalf the height thereof, foot meansassociated with the upstanding wall of the receptacle substantiallymedially thereof and extending radially therefrom at an angle of 3, saidfoot means terminating at a distance from the receptacle and including aportion thereof which lies in a plane with the bottom of the receptacle.

2. An improved tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein the foot means isthreadedly secured to the receptacle.

3. An improved tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein the foot means isconstructed of material of lesser weight than the receptacle.

4.An improved tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receptacle isbrass.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS ROBERT PESHOCK, Primary ExaminerU.S. o1. X.R. 222-465

